Bobcat attacks two dogs in Lyme

A bobcat attacked two dogs off Oakland Avenue near Hamburg Cove in Lyme last week, but proved elusive to Environmental Conservation officers who tried to find it the next day.

One of the dogs is owned by Pam and Taylor Hicks. Pam Hicks said Tuesday that her next-door neighbor saw the bobcat in her garage on Monday.

First Selectman Ralph Eno said that immediately after the attack, one of the two dog owners reported that the bobcat was hiding under the deck of the home, snarling aggressively.

"It may have been a mother with a litter under there," he said. Both dogs are believed to be recovering from the injuries.

Eno reported the incident to state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection officers, who searched unsuccessfully for the animal the next day. DEEP spokesman Dennis Schain said bobcats are "fairly common" and are known to prey on domestic animals such as poultry, small pigs, sheep, goats and housecats, but dog attacks are rare. Bobcat attacks on humans are "virtually unknown," according to a wildlife DEEP fact sheet.